


The Present

by sputnik



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Animals, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-08-14 23:54:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8033935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sputnik/pseuds/sputnik
Summary: I have always liked the idea that Nile Dawk is a cat person and Erwin Smith is a dog person. Also, another favorite headcanon of mine is Nile's undeniable expertise in baking. hope you enjoyed this one-shot!





	The Present

\---

Erwin sat on the cool wooden floor of his bedroom with his legs crossed, looking at the contents of the box two times the size of standard shoebox in front of him. Good thing there was no noise coming out from it and, most importantly, there was no sign of his housemate-cum-boyfriend in the house at the moment. He deduced that he might be out at a time like this, strolling under the shades in the neighbourhood park on his own.

Erwin could have walked with him like he usually do ever since they lived together, though it seemed better not to as his boyfriend always demanded that he needed his time alone. But then again, Erwin felt like he had to do something for him unless he wanted his long loving relationship to be jeopardized.

He tried talking to him, humouring him, taking over almost every chores in the house for him, and even offering to be the receiving end in bed. So far nothing worked.

He had to comfort him somehow.

Even if it meant giving an early birthday present.

\---

Seven months, nineteen days.

That was how long Erwin patiently waited for Nile to overcome his grief of losing his pet.

There was nothing physically special about the animal. It was a lean black domestic cat with sharp yellow irises, and Erwin’s first meeting with him resulted in a long, deep scar that ran from the base of his left thumb to where his pisiform bone is. Erwin remembered he didn’t get along with the cat – which his boyfriend affectionately called Levi – and for a year or so he was fighting against the little creature for Nile’s affections.

Only when Nile moved in with him did the cat calmed down a bit. Still, Erwin did find Levi an utter annoyance, particularly to his clothes and furniture, and most definitely to those times when he wanted nothing more than to ravish his boyfriend in bed and the cat would sit on the bedside table to watch them in action; rendering the whole ordeal an uncomfortable one for Erwin.

But Levi made Nile happy.

The cat had been with Nile since he was twelve, when he found it mewling near a dumpster one fine day; barely able to walk yet. Nile had told him that, in a way, the cat saved him from his suicidal tendencies during his miserable school life. Although he never actually directly told Erwin, but Erwin did suspect those inclinations his boyfriend experienced must have had something to do with his sexuality.

Since then, for over a decade, they were inseparable. Nile enjoyed pampering Levi with everything a cat lover can ever possibly shower a cat with. Sometimes the spoiling could go overboard from buying expensive toys which Levi almost never played with, to allowing Levi to sleep in bed with them (and his furry backside facing Erwin’s face, unfortunately). Levi wasn’t without his own quirks too, which included eating from his bowl with his back legs sprawling to the sides and getting himself stuck in the window blinds.

It took two years for Erwin to get used to a third wheel sharing a home with him and Nile, and despite being a dog person, Erwin didn’t complain much about having a cat as his first pet. How could he? Levi made Nile happy, and that was all that mattered.

How unfortunate that the happiness, the smile that Nile always sported when he was around Levi gradually faded away.  

It was the end of summer when Levi suddenly became ill. He used to be so active that both Erwin and Nile had to call him from doing the usual mischief around the house. But on that day, all he did was lying down in the bathtub and wasn’t attentive to Nile’s calls or the toys Erwin waved at him. They eventually brought him to the clinic for blood tests and such, and oh, how the colour drained from Nile’s face when the veterinarian finally told them what they suspected the disease was, and how much time Levi might actually have.

Erwin remembered how his boyfriend cried like a wounded little boy that night. And he definitely remembered how Nile gathered what courage he had to help his friend fight to see another day. Since then, Levi was kept indoors and Nile monitored him like how a mother would to her sick child.

Autumn passed and winter came, and Levi wasn’t shown any sign of improvement despite the many hospital visits and the many injections he had to take. Levi became so weak and frail, and Erwin feared Nile was also starting to follow suit. Erwin and the doctor discussed with Nile many times about the matter and eventually, Nile had to let go and end Levi’s suffering.  

It was two days before Christmas and Nile had chosen that date to visit the vet for the last time. That morning, Nile seemed calm when he wrapped Levi in his favourite cosy blanket and held him in his embrace, as Erwin drove them to the clinic. The vet voiced her condolences before giving Levi a medication to ease his pain as he passed on a few minutes after.

The silent tears from Nile’s eyes never stopped streaming down his cheeks, even after wailing his heart out and muttering his apologies to Levi. He only watched as Erwin took the liberty to bury Levi in their front garden. Erwin promised to get a few flower bushes to decorate Levi’s grave, which he did right on the next day, but it didn’t seemed to comfort Nile in the slightest.

And Erwin didn’t manage to see Nile sport that wonderful smile again.

\---

Seven months and nineteen days without Nile’s smile. Every subsequent moment since the depressing event, Nile had been nothing but a man with a dark gloomy cloud above his head. His days were spent with staring out the living room window to the small patch of dirt in their garden (which was planted with white narcissus in spring and now Erwin had a circle of purple dahlia planted). His nights were spend with crying in the corner of the kitchen as he held on Levi’s old toys that he refused to give away in his hands.

Erwin tried so hard to help Nile get back on his feet again. His attempts varied from time to time, and they ranged from simple kisses to reassuring sex, but the best they could do was make Nile give out a tiny smile for at most three seconds.

He hoped that this attempt of a birthday celebration would work somehow.

Erwin placed the box in the middle of the bed he shared with his boyfriend and went to the living room; just in time to notice Nile walking towards the driveway. Nile still had that sad look on his face and it seemed somewhat worse when he stopped in his tracks and took a quick glance at the dahlias. He sighed heavily and went to the door, but before he could take out his keys, Erwin had it opened for him.

“Welcome home, Nile. How was the park?” Erwin gave a kiss on Nile’s freckled cheek. “Hope you’re not too burnt by the summer heat...”

Nile gave the tiny smile as usual without uttering a word. If Erwin hadn’t been accustomed to his boyfriend’s antics for the past five years, this gesture could have been nothing short of frustrating. Erwin closed the door and held Nile’s hand, slowly guiding him to sit at the couch.

“Sit here. I’ll be right back.”

Erwin went into the kitchen and in less than thirty seconds, he came out again with a small round cake on his right palm and a cake cutter in his left grasp. He presented the treat in front of Nile with a wide beam on his face.

“Happy birthday, Nile! I had this done yesterday when you were at work. It’s...not as good as your delicious berry pies, but it’s the best I can do with such limited talent in baking.”

Nile looked at the cake placed on the coffee table and again, gave out the tiny grin as he saw the rather badly drawn cat on top of it.

Erwin noticed and his face flushed in embarrassment. “I...I thought a little drawing could make the cake look err...nicer.”

“Thank you, Erwin. But...my birthday is tomorrow.”

“I know, I know! It’s just...well, since, you know, that day...you’ve been very depressed. You rarely smiled, you cried yourself to sleep every night and...and I really want to help you battle it. Help you get better because there’s a lot that life could offer and I don’t want you to miss it. So I thought, perhaps an early birthday celebration wouldn’t hurt...”

Nile looked at his boyfriend with wide eyes, and Erwin swiftly perceived the apologetic look on his face. Suddenly Nile felt so ashamed for thinking that he was on his own in his anguish and that the death of his cat would only affect him and him alone, when Erwin had always been there for him.

Erwin smiled and offered his embrace to Nile. Nile gladly took it.

“Thank you, Erwin.” Nile repeated; this time in a soft whisper of relief. “I’m such a fool to think that I’m in this alone.”

“You’re never alone, Nile. You have me.”

Nile pulled away from the hug and kissed the tip of Erwin’s nose. He then smiled just enough to make Erwin sigh contently at the progress.

“Maybe it is for the best that I move on.”

“Oh, yes, love. But only if you’re truly ready. I know you love Levi more than anything in the world and I don’t mind waiting a bit more until then.”

“No, Erwin...it has to be now. After all, you’ve always wanted a dog in the house. I was so protective of Levi that I never allowed that...but now, there’s nothing to prevent that. We can get one tomorrow at the shelter.”

“Well, that escalated quickly. Sadly, I have to ask you to hold back on that thought a little longer.”

Nile gave a confused look at his boyfriend. Erwin smirked and stood up; offering his palm out for Nile to take.

“Come with me to the bedroom. I have a present for you.”

Nile gave out a quiet chuckle and entertained Erwin by following him as they walked out from the living room.

“Does this present involve fucking me in various positions? Without condoms, perhaps?”

“Ah. Now you’re giving me ideas for tonight! Keep that in the tab; this present is different.”

They arrived in the bedroom and Nile noticed the plain-looking box on the bed; no smaller than two shoeboxes in size.

“It’s not wrapped.”

“You know how I am with crafty things, Nile. Go on. Open the lid.”

Nile approached the bed and sat on it. He examined the box and noticed the lid was pierced with a few holes. Nile seemed to register something in his head at the sight of those holes, and he looked at Erwin with such uncertainties swimming in his eyes. Erwin only nodded at him as an encouragement.

With shaky hands, Nile opened the box and his heart tied a knot so tightly that he gasped at the sight of his present.

In the box was a squirming brown kitten struggling to get out of his temporary prison and as he noticed Nile’s presence, he started to mewl. The sound made Nile whimper and he struggled to keep his emotions intact, as he change glances between Erwin and the tiny animal in front of him.

“H-hel...hello...” It was all Nile could manage as he carefully picked up the kitten and placed him on his chest. “Oh, my God...I...how...this...”

Nile’s words became incomprehensible with the overwhelming excitement he was feeling at that moment and all he could do was sob to the beautiful, fragile thing he had in his hands. Erwin sat down next to him, smiling wider than before.

“I couldn’t find a black kitten for you...I hope brown is okay.”

“Brown is...brown is fine...it’s fine...oh, Erwin...Erwin...thank you. Thank you so much. I love you.”

Erwin didn’t know he could fall in love with Nile all over again, until he finally saw the long lost smile stapled on Nile’s face. For seven months and nineteen days, Erwin had waited patiently to see that wonderful smile. He was sure now that Nile had returned to his old self, though not in its entirety. Erwin knew Levi’s death wouldn’t be forgotten for the rest of their lives, but to know Nile could move on from that loss and be happy again...that was all that mattered.

He closed in to peck on the mewling kitten on Nile’s chest, then shared a deep, loving kiss with his partner. “I love you, too, Nile.”

**Author's Note:**

> I have always liked the idea that Nile Dawk is a cat person and Erwin Smith is a dog person. Also, another favorite headcanon of mine is Nile's undeniable expertise in baking. hope you enjoyed this one-shot!


End file.
